"This thing" is the John McKay Center, the $70 million, 110,000-square-foot building that's due to be completed by the start of football training camp in August.

Jackson, who's spearheading the project under the direction of Athletic Director Pat Haden, provided a tour of the facility to media members Thursday.

Here are some of the highlights:

• The most noticeable feature of the main floor is a two-story-high, customized video wall that's the equivalent of 278 15-inch flat-screen TVs. It will have a dedicated team producing content. Live content also will be shown on the wall, and recruits can play video games on it. "It's cutting-edge technology at the push of a button," Jackson said.

• Recruits will have an ideal vantage point to view the video wall from the Marv Goux Recruiting Lounge on the upper level. It will be open to recruits from all 21 of USC's varsity sports. Jackson said it will look like a "high-end living room."

• The primary thrust of the main floor is academics. It includes a room with 25 tutorial computer stations, an additional computer lab and a library-like study area. The main floor also will feature an outdoor atrium honoring McKay, including a statue of the legendary coach.

• The upper floor is mostly devoted to football. It includes coaches' offices, team meeting rooms, a team auditorium and an outdoor dining area overlooking the 90-yard intramural field directly to the south of the building. On the west end is a head coach's suite with a patio overlooking Howard Jones Field, where the football team practices.

• The lower level is devoted to sports performance, including a weight room, nutrition center, sports-medicine area and 40-yard-long AstroTurf field. The weight room and field are adjoining. Together, they're eight times larger than the current weight room at Heritage Hall. The sports-medicine area is five times larger than the current version.

• The football locker room sits across from the 40-yard field in the southwest corner of the lower level. The football-shaped room features 114 lockers, each with built-in iPads and USB ports. Next to the locker room is a players' lounge that 10 current Trojans, two from each class, helped design.

Jackson described the McKay Center as "phase one of a major overhaul of our athletic facilities." The university also plans a $30 million-$35 million renovation of 41-year-old Heritage Hall, which will become a "cutting-edge museum-like space" for the public, Jackson said. The two buildings will be connected underground, and the school will revamp the courtyard between them.

USC also will renovate its swim stadium and put in a new field and track at the track stadium.

Finally, USC is in the process of taking over day-to-day operations of the L.A. Memorial Coliseum and surrounding land. Once that deal becomes official, the goal will be to "dramatically improve the fan experience," Jackson said.